1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display and storage hangers for shoes.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for devices to display shoes in a retail establishment is quite obvious. The attempts to provide for such devices have taken into consideration the high cost of real estate space. All products complete for display space and the retailer is constantly changing its allocation of display space in response to its profit expectation from the products and the amount of space required. Another consideration in designing shoe displays involves the exposure provided to the retailer's inventory as the shoes are removed by the shoppers.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,353 issued to Matsubara on Jan. 18, 1972. However, it differs from the present invention because it includes a bulky base sheet 2 and fastening strings 5 which require more time to mount and remove the footwear products from Matsubara's holder. Also, it is not clear how Matsubara's holder would work for more conventional shoes instead of the sandals shown in the patent drawings, without damaging the shoe itself.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.